(MalexMale) The Final Curse [Crimson Immortal Series Book: 3]

11 - A Surprise Meeting

Sei pat Zhil's shoulder to calm him down. He knew who it was since the doors of the tomb closed. It was a presence he was quite familiar with. He was simply playing with Zhil to draw them out.

Within the darkness, a pair of icy blue eyes emerged followed by a chilly void. It was the Weeping King, Auran.

As he came into the light, the Weeping King's head and face remained shrouded within his dark magic, revealing only the skin around his neck. The tanned freckled skin was marred by a deep long scar, reminiscent of Sei's, but different in several ways. Auran's scar crawled across the entirety of his throat. It was smooth, unlike Sei's, having a guess whoever cut him did so in one slash. It was also deep, and without a doubt, the man's vocal cords had been cut too. The scar itself looked cruel as if his murderer had strong animosity toward him.

When Auran spoke, his voice sounded like air escaping from his throat. It could hardly be called a voice at all. "Funny... to find... you... here," the words were completely guttural, and he was forced to speak very slowly to make sure his words were coherent.

Sei's hand absentmindedly went to his face, and he realized it was empty. The shock that his bare face was exposed was but a fleeting moment. He should have felt anger having his hidden identity revealed, but for some reason, it didn't bother him. Perhaps because there was a sense of familiarity with Auran or maybe it was because he was ready to let others know him. Either way, it was the last piece of him to fall and free himself from his hidden sanctuary.

"Now that you've seen my face, will you grace me with yours?" Sei asked, drawing curiosity to the Lich King before him.

"No."

Sei furrowed his brows and Zhil made a disgruntled noise as he came to stand next to his King.

"Why are you here?" Zhil asked.

"Why... don't you... ask... him?" Auran answered as he pointed toward Sei.

Sei started. The bare hand that pointed at him. The skin was tanned but there was a patch of pale skin as if the sun had bleached it--an imperfection and one very reminiscent of someone he once knew.

It can't be? All of a sudden Sei was struck with apprehension. His throat tightened and his heart beat quicker.

Sei's eyes quickly darted upward, but what greeted him were only the emotionless pale eyes of a lich. A look that told a person not to pry into things not wanting to be told. A look he'd seen in himself countless times.

Sei debated internally. Auran couldn't be who he thought. Auran was apathetic, distant, straightforward, and insensitive. Plus he was a lich. He was completely different from the person in his mind.

Sei cleared his throat, seemingly shaking off his earlier panic, "A team of mine has been working with Auran. He has been studying a void in Naisis' domain."

Zhil's pupil dilated. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If they had been secretly gathering information the entire time, surely they knew he was working with Naisis... Mysia.

Unable to shake his nervousness, Zhil dimmed the fire and tried his best to avoid Auran's gaze. The icy lich would probably murder him on the spot if he found out the truth.

"I... broke it. The void," Auran rasped.

As a light and dark mage, Auran could break any illusion cast by a manipulation mage.

After months of pouring copious amounts of light magic every day, he finally shattered the illusion around the valley. But since he used so much magic he fell into a state of extended magical exhaustion. He ended up wandering around the valley in a trance while his feet led him to a familiar place. After a long rest, Auran had sent a report because he was not quite back to full strength to rift. He took another short rest and was awakened by the Bleeding King and the soul mage's flirting antics.